RELAX, WRITE, POLISH

I am seeing way too many writers scrambling around desperately trying to get their books released and then blogging and tweeting until their fingers are blue with little or no results.

Relax.

For many years now there was nothing I could do to make someone buy my book. I had no choice but to write and submit, write and submit. Nothing has changed. You do NOT want to put your work out there too soon. You'll regret it if you do.

And once you have sent your book to a few reviewers, bought an ad or two, and blogged a few times, sure you can spend a few minutes on FB, Twitter, and Kindle Boards, but don't make the mistake of being frantic about your promo/marketing...feeling as if your book needs to sell today! If you're lucky enough to have a story that appeals to readers, then you need to be patient and wait for word of mouth to do it's job.

Return of the Rose is just now working it's way up the charts after four months. I hope Finding Kate Huntley and Taming Mad Max have the same success in a few more months. I'm blogging tomorrow and next week and then I plan to RELAX while I write.

Who is going to feel better in two months? The writer who has finished another book or the writer who is still frantically searching for that one magical advertisement/blog/review that will make his/her book sell?

Edit and polish an old book. Start a new book. Just write.

If anyone is having trouble commenting on blogger, you have to hit preview 2 or 3 times and then UNCHECK the tiny box that says "stay signed in" and then yay, your comment should go through!

20,000 eBOOKS SOLD

Over the years, I signed with two agents and worked closely with a couple of editors in NY. I gave myself self-imposed deadlines. I found a fill-in-the-blank contract with a NY publisher on-line, printed it off, filled in the blanks, signed it, and kept it on the wall in front of my computer. I wrote a make-believe Publisher's Lunch Sweet Deal made by Theresa Ragan and hung that up too. I went to RWA's National Conferences, filled my days with workshops, and learned from the best. I critiqued and brainstormed with some amazing writers. And yet I couldn't make a sale. I thought about giving up, even tried it for a few months and couldn't.

After that, I did what I had to, I kept on writing...in the car while picking up kids, late at night, early in the morning. I don't have an office. I take my laptop from room to room. Sometimes I write without the light on so I won't wake anyone up.

When you're a writer, you write.

Four months ago I was looking through the Want Ads for a job. After nearly two decades of writing while raising four kids, it was time to get a job that pays. With nothing to lose, I self-published my two medieval time travels, followed by three more books. 

I hit the 20,000 mark on July 9th, but I haven't known what to say on my blog. Yay me! sounds stupid. I don't want this to sound like some sort of Oscar speech either when I thank my readers...every single one of them. But if that's what it sounds like, then so be it.

THANK YOU READERS!

And thanks to every single writer and family friend who bought my book just to support me and my dream.